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Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has officially endorsed President Bola Tinubu and Governor Biodun Oyebanji for another term in the lead-up to the 2027 elections.
At an All Progressives Congress rally in Ado-Ekiti on Monday, Fayose expressed his backing for both the President's re-election and the continuation of Oyebanji’s administration, despite being affiliated with the opposition party.
“I hereby endorse, without reservation, President Bola Tinubu for a second term.
I also endorse our governor, Biodun Oyebanji, and his deputy for another term,” Fayose announced.
He highlighted the event as a "unique gathering," emphasizing the importance of having all former governors, state leaders, and National Assembly members from Ekiti present, seeing their attendance as a display of unity and political maturity.
Fayose, who clarified he is not a member of the All Progressives Congress, stated that his endorsement was based on the quality of performance rather than party allegiance.
“I am not a member of his party and will never be, but I stand here to say I have witnessed the good work. I applaud Governor Oyebanji's humility and leadership. He deserves another term,” he remarked.
Reflecting on his own political successes in Ekiti State, he boasted about his past electoral achievements, claiming victories across all 16 local government areas and 177 wards of the state.
He challenged Oyebanji to achieve the same in upcoming elections, setting it as a new standard. “Who will, for the first time again, be the record holder to win in all the 16 local governments and all the 177 wards of Ekiti? It’s often taken for granted. But once we are on the ground, we will compete,” he stated.
He also commended the contributions of notable political figures such as Segun Oni for promoting unity and congratulated those who recently defected to the APC, encouraging more to do the same. “This unity serves as a model for all states in Nigeria,” he remarked.
Fayose further teased members of the PDP who are swapping to the APC, stating, “I congratulate all the decampees; they should keep decamping. It’s beneficial as long as this governor returns for a second term.
The number of decampees doesn’t matter, except for me; I’m not going anywhere.”
Fayose's endorsement coincides with renewed initiatives by APC leaders in the state to garner support for the Tinubu administration and Oyebanji’s leadership ahead of the 2027 elections.
